


Experimental Genre

by TheAppreciationClub



Category: No Straight Roads (Video Game)
Genre: I'll be adding tags as I go, M/M, Slow Burn, i think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:34:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26660758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAppreciationClub/pseuds/TheAppreciationClub
Summary: It was sometime after the rock revolution that it happened. And it happened on a strangely normal day.The last thing he expected was to see him at their door.
Relationships: Zuke/Eloni (No Straight Roads), Zuke/Green (No Straight Roads)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 129





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No promises on this ever getting finished. It's something we were thinking about but weren't sure if we wanted to do.
> 
> Chapter word count: 169

It was sometime after the rock revolution that it happened. And it happened on a strangely normal day. Zuke barely remembered it. What he did remember was chilling with Mayday in their living room. She was standing up, stretching and yawning, when there was a knock on the door.

“I'm going to bed. Could you get that?”

Zuke only nodded. She thanked him, leaving for her room as he got up to answer the door. When he did, he blinked. He blinked again, doing a double-take. 

Standing in front of him was a 10 foot tall man in a drenched hoodie with bright green hair and a mask covering half his face. With the additional clothing and without the hoop on his head, he was almost unrecognisable at a glance. Zuke could see sparks flying where the hoop should have been against the rain from the sewer entrance behind him.

The fifth member of 1010 pulled down his mask and smiled uneasily at him.

“Hi. Can I stay here?”


	2. Shoddy Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuke fixes some wires
> 
> Chapter word count: 973

Zuke didn't respond right away and it was clearly making the android more nervous, but in his stunned silence he nearly missed the way his smile fell. 

“Can- What?” The response only made him more nervous. He looked away, gripping his hoodie tight until his joints strained and creaked quietly.

“Is it alright if… You can say no. I don't want to impose. But can I stay here for a while?”

Zuke didn't think about his next words. He didn't intend to say “Why” out loud or so bluntly. And he definitely didn't like seeing the other flinch and start mumbling for an explanation. He took another moment to properly consider the question.

…He couldn't just... leave him there. 

“Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. We have some space here. You can stay.” 

Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to come to that decision without properly consulting Mayday but seeing the smile return to his face with relief pushed any of that worry out of his mind for now. Besides, he doubted she would actually be upset with a member of 1010 being in her home. They’d invited complete strangers in before. The android thanked him profusely as he gestured for him to come inside. When he passed him, he started to ask him what he was even doing at his home of all places, but once again noticed the sparking on the back of his head.

“Oh shit, are you okay?”

The android stopped and turned back to him. His hand followed Zuke’s gaze to the back of his head and his eyes widened.

“Oh!” His expression returned to that nervous smile. “Yes, I am.”

Nothing about that was convincing.

“Are you sure? You’re... sparking. That doesn’t really seem ‘okay’, man.”

“... Ah.” His hand dropped to his side. “Then maybe I’m not.”

Zuke looked him over again. Drenched and clearly trying to cover up that he is in fact a member of 1010. While that could just be a matter of attempting to sneak out and avoiding paparazzi, he was damaged? What on earth happened to him? He took the android’s hand and started to drag him over to his workshop.

“I’ll try and fix you up a bit. I doubt loose wires and rain's gonna be good for you.”

He’d ask those questions later.

* * *

The two of them were in relative silence as Zuke took his wet clothes and replaced them with towels. Only a few “thank yous” and “no problems” filled the verbal space. It was oddly nice considering their last real encounter.

Zuke started drying his hair, careful to avoid the sparks of the wires. He was surprised when it dried faster than he expected before he remembered it was probably part of his design. Wet hair wasn't really as sexy as the media tried to make it.

Once he finished, he moved his hair out of the way to inspect the damaged spot. It looked like something was torn off. ‘The hoop,’ he remembered. He also saw the wires and once he realised what exactly he was looking at, quickly got confused.

“What are these wires for?” he verbalised, “Are they important?” He felt the android stiffen below him.

“Not… anymore…”

“Not anymore?”

“Not anymore.”

Zuke didn't ask about what that could possibly mean with the way he said it. Instead, he opted to ask something more useful. 

“I'm not really familiar with your electronics and stuff. Do you have any ideas for how I should take care of it?”

“Uh- yeah I think so.” He paused for a moment. “Those wires that are sparking are power cables. There should be matching ones that you can connect them to so I'm not losing as much power. The other ones are data cables you can cap and tape off."

Zuke could see what he was talking about and nodded despite the fact the other couldn't see it. He grabbed some electrical tape they usually used for their amps and other speakers and got to work. 

The data cables took no time at all: just some tape over the ends. He taped them down onto the broken base of the old hoop too, to keep them from getting tugged or caught on anything. Autopilot just about kicked in when he started straightening the frayed wires of the power cables but when he touched the matching cables together, the android jumped. 

“Shit - are you okay?” He didn’t get a response right away, which did nothing to help the slight panic that hit him. Then, the android laughed.

“Y - yeah. There was just a surge. I… kind of forgot there might be one.” He laughed a bit more. Nervousness was still clear in his voice. Zuke sighed, patting his head. The android leaned back to look up at him and Zuke smiled down at him. He smiled back then straightened up. The rest of the wires were connected with relative ease and taped down like the data cables.

Zuke hesitated once he was finished. Was that all there was to it? If it was then it didn’t seem like he was damaged too badly. But… that hoop was definitely pretty solid.

“Are you done?” The android’s earnest voice brought him out of his thoughts. “It feels like you’re done.”

“Uh, Yeah I am.” He thought he was at least. “Does it feel right?” He wasn’t sure if that was the right question to ask but he watched the other sit up straight and hum in thought.

“Well, I’m not losing any more power to sparking,” he reached up to feel Zuke’s work, “and - oh, you’ve taped them down.”

“Yeah, I figured it would be better than leaving them to get tugged.”

He looked up at Zuke again, almost blankly.

“Thank you.”

Zuke stared at him for a moment.

“Yeah. No problem.”


	3. Goodnight, I think.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The handsome robot is different than expected but it's late so they're going to sleep before they talk about anything
> 
> Chapter word count: 1362

Getting out of the workshop, the two of them found themselves a bit aimless. Zuke just rubbed at the back of his neck as the android took in the apartment.

“You have a nice place. For sewers, I’m surprised you could get it this homey.”

That statement probably would’ve offended him if it weren’t literal.

“Uh, yea. Thanks, man.” 

Zuke watched as he walked around the room, examining the space. It was really hitting him again that there really was a member of 1010 just standing in his living room, _admiring_ it even. And he intended to stay the night.

“Uh, Eloni-”

“No.”

Zuke paused.

“Wha?”

“Uh,” he only just seemed to realize what he said, “I - Sorry, I’m not - I don’t really go by...” he bit his tongue, taking a moment to choose his words, “Please don’t call me Eloni. That’s not really… Just don’t call me that, okay?”

“Oh. Okay.” He vaguely wondered if he was always uncomfortable with the name. Maybe it was just a stage name? “Uh, do you have something you _do_ want me to call you?”

He opened his mouth to respond but whatever words he had disappeared. 

“...I don’t really know yet.”

“Huh. Yeah, okay.” It wasn’t really the first time he’d heard something like that. Hell, he had enough of those moments himself trying to figure out if he really did like some of the names he picked out for himself. He had no idea if these were similar circumstances but advice for it was usually the same right? “Take your time with that, yeah?” He felt kind of weird just saying it but he felt like it was something he _should_ say. The android looking at him almost surprised told him that feeling was right.

“Yeah… Ah -” He straightened up. “You could - ...You could call me 101 for now. Or - ah - I guess 5 would be easier to say.” Zuke blinked.

“You sure? Like, for real, no rush. Names are tough sometimes.”

“I don’t mind it. And besides, I don’t have to keep it forever if I don’t like it.” 101 smiled at him. He nodded slowly and smiled back.

“Yeah, man. Yeah - kay, you got it 5.” Zuke noticed him smile wider.

He never really paid much attention to 1010 before. Their music was good but, if he was being honest, he kind of thought that the whole boyband was oddly sexual and preformative in an off putting way. They acted pretty flat yet far too forward to be taken seriously. Like, what kind of person says “let’s be ideal boyfriends” to someone they just met? Let alone someone who's there just to kick their ass?

101 wasn’t acting like that. Maybe it was just because he was talking to Zuke and not Mayday - 1010 _was_ insufferably heterosexual afterall - but he was acting jarringly normal, if not a tad awkward. Not that he could blame him for it. He definitely felt awkward too. He wondered if this was really what the group was like when they weren't in public. If it was they could probably get along after getting to know each other better. Maybe.

“Zuke?”

Oh fuck.

“Huh- yeah?”

101 stifled a giggle and Zuke half acknowledged that it was cute as hell.

“Were you going to ask me something?”

He thought back for a minute. Oh. He was, wasn’t he?

“Oh, right - yeah. It was, uh,” shit, what was it? “It's pretty late right? Do you need a room? Or. Do you sleep at all, actually?” 101 shook his head.

“We usually shut down and recharge. We can last several days without charging but Neon J plugs us in every night for security…” He trailed off slightly and his gaze drifted. Zuke tilted his head.

“…You good, man?”

101 looked back and stared, then nodded with a smile.

“Yeah. I'm probably just a little homesick already.” Zuke gave him a look.

“…Speaking of that, why are you here and not there? Wouldn't it be… I dunno. Easier? Better? You'd have better repairs and an actual way to charge. I don't think we have anything for that here.”

101's smile faded quickly as he spoke. He wasn’t wearing his hoodie anymore so instead he grabbed his arm and squeezed it in the same way he did standing outside their door. His eyes shifted along the ground and Zuke started to feel bad.

“Okay, nevermind. We'll talk about that later. Let's just get ready for bed. I'm getting pretty tired.” He saw 101 relax again but only slightly.

“Thank you…”

It was worrying to watch to say the least and only left him with more questions. Questions to be asked tomorrow. 

“No problem, man. Uh, if you don't have a way to charge right now we're definitely shutting you off for tonight. That cool with you?” 101 nodded and he nodded back. “Cool.”

Zuke stopped to think about where 101 would stay while shut down. He didn't really want to leave him anywhere out in the open. Anyone could walk in and just see him there and that wouldn't go well, would it? And May would flip out too. He pulled himself from his thoughts to start pulling 101 to his room.

“I'll shut you down in my room so I can turn you back on in the morning. Hopefully that way no one'll freak out about you being here while neither of us are awake.” 

“You'll turn me on in the morning? Can't wait~” Zuke looked up to deadpan at him but he… already looked disgusted about it? “Sorry. I really didn't mean to say that…”

…He seemed genuine, so he told him it was alright and left it alone.

101 didn't comment further about being in Zuke’s room. He just made his way to the side of his bed opposite of the door and sat on the floor, leaning against it. Once he was settled, he gave a thumbs up. Zuke crawled into bed and looked down at him.

“You wanna sleep there?”

He nodded. 

“Uh. Okay. How do I turn you off then?”

101 opened his mouth then promptly closed it. He turned, putting his head down and back closer to Zuke to show him a circular panel just below his neck which he carefully unlocked and pushed aside. Behind it was a button.

“10 seconds for on. 10 seconds for off.”

“I hold it for that long?”

101 nodded. 

Zuke hesitated for a moment. It was kind of weird. One of the biggest stars of Vinyl City and he was just going to turn him off? He put his finger to the button but didn't press down right away. 

“Zuke?”

“What happens when I turn you off?”

“Is that what you're worried about?” Zuke frowned. Yes it was, among several other things. 101 gave a short cocky laugh he remembered hearing from Rin before. “That's sweet of you to be concerned about but it's nothing scarier than turning off a computer. I'll be fine when you turn me back on. I'll just take a minute to boot up.”

If he was being honest, he still didn’t like that answer. But at least it seemed like a genuine one. 

“Okay. I’ll turn you off then.”

“Alright. Close the panel after, okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, and - I almost forgot -” 101 looked back at Zuke over his shoulder “Could you not tell anyone I’m here? And Mayday can’t know I came over in that state either.”

He would ask why if he thought it would get him anywhere. Instead he nodded and 101 smiled.

“Thanks.” He turned back around. “Goodnight, Zuke.”

“Goodnight.”

He held the button down for 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… 

10 seconds later Zuke could just about see 101’s eyes close and his body relaxed as he shut down. He didn’t move and neither did Zuke for a time. Eventually he closed the panel. And eventually he lay down in bed. 

His mind didn’t settle. He had a lot of questions, not many answers. After running the events through his mind a couple times, he scoffed.

What a weird way to get a new roommate.


End file.
